Pro Evolution Soccer 2013 3D (Nintendo 3DS) Review

Year in, year out, the key duo of Konami and Electronic Arts battle it out with their latest updates to the popular football pairing of Pro Evolution Soccer and FIFA; the former always seemingly one step behind due to limitations in the FIFA licensing deal, but normally leagues ahead in terms of quality. In recent years EA Sports' multi-million selling series notched it up several gears whilst Konami's famous team, led Shingo 'Seabass' Takatsuka, stalled somewhat. Saying that, though, such accusations are levelled at the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions mainly, since on Wii the 'Playmaker' series that uses Wii Remote pointer controls for a greater degree of control over team mates during matches helped elevate it to a higher level overall. On the handheld scene, again it has so far been a case of Konami still trumping EA, since the FIFA games on 3DS have been rather sub-par, as was the case with the recent FIFA 13. What of Pro Evolution Soccer 2013 3D, though? Does it keep the upward trend going and become the champion? The answer is one that can be delivered in a single word: yes!

Might as well skip ahead to the final score, right? Well, okay, for those still reading there are far more options to choose from this year, with traditional Exhibition matches and Penalty shoot-outs, Network games (online match-up with those on the Friends List or 'Free' games against those of a similar level, or all players at any standard; wireless games, plus StreetPass encounters), UEFA Champions League, the Latin American cup, Master League for developing talents and signing the right players on the road to glory, Become a Legend where players start as a single player from the beginning of their career through to the twilight, World Player that works similarly to Become a Legend but different in that you are already in the shoes of a big name star, plus the usual regular League and Cup choices, as well as intensive training sessions.

The Circle Pad certainly helps for probably the smoothest control system on a handheld so far, with the intuitive nature of the gameplay from the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions being translated to the smaller setting very impressively indeed. The commentary is spot on, with not too much of that pesky repetition or ill-timed comments popping up (anyone remember the old 'That must be a penalty!' when actually nowhere near the box?!), and the atmosphere from the crowd is amazing, with team-specific chants being a particular stand-out point.

There are so many little tweaks that can be applied in the pre-match setup section, and for those that do not relish the idea of constantly having to do so, there is the chance to save certain key player positions, formations, tactics, and so on, meaning they can quickly be loaded next time the game is booted up. There are also some important time savers, such as being able to assign on-the-fly tactical changes to one of four touch screen boxes (offside trap, pressure, attack down the wing, and more) and allowing the computer to decide when is best to substitute players and who to put on as replacements. This proves to be imperative as whilst there are those that love to play around with lots of options, others wish to merely jump into matches without too much hassle.

As with the debut 3DS edition, Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D, with the 3D slider on full, the added depth really brings a fantastic feel to proceedings and when turned right up gives an additional edge to play, being able to judge where players are almost as if personally on the pitch. There are various camera styles to play around with to find one best suited to the player, and although the range on offer is not as expansive as other games of this ilk, there is more enough to suit most players' needs. One problem that arises, however, is that the mini-radar showing all players' positions is tiny on the upper screen and it would have been preferable to have a large version visible on the lower screen.

Aurally, as a rather cool little extra, in the sound options where certain songs can be switched on and off for different menu screens, there are some classic Konami tracks from the likes of Castlevania, Gradius, Contra, Twinbee and even Mystical Ninja! Finally, there are achievements to unlock, a PES shop where new players, stadia, and game-changing options can be unlocked using PES Points (earned during the game, or by converting Play Coins), and even the chance to use the stylus during matches to add even more close control to matches and extra effects. Pro Evolution Soccer 2013 3D has everything anyone with a Nintendo 3DS could hope for in a football title, and probably a bit extra for good measure!